


Nobody Could Be That Clever (You Could)

by Cyane (orphan_account)



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Episode: s01e03 The Great Game, Episode: s02e03 The Reichenbach Fall, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Poor John, Prompt Fill, Sherlock Needs A Hug, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 07:06:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8240557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Cyane
Summary: In the end, John was the one who knew that Jim Moriarty made people pretend to be something they weren't.





	

John never forgot that look. That look in Sherlock's eyes as soon as he had walked out, revealed himself. 

The look of complete and utter shock. John knew that his friend couldn't even register betrayal because he was so surprised. Sherlock lost all signs of composure, his pupils shrinking in horror. 

_"John-"_ He had choked out. _"What the hell-"_

 _"Bet you never saw this coming,"_ John had been forced to say. 

The moment that he had opened the jacket, the shock had died down but John saw that Sherlock was still reeling. Relief was overwhelming. Immediately afterwards Sherlock had sprung back to life, after having been certain that John- his best friend, John Watson- was indeed, not Moriarty and was still his best friend.

Making sure that after all these years, after finally choosing one person to trust, that they weren't completely betraying him. 

And trust was kept.

John never forgot the time Sherlock was standing on the edge of the hospital roof, either. (How could he?) He never forgot the sobs leaking into words and the choked sentences, the tears and apologies.

 _"Nobody could that clever,"_ He had insisted, and John had simply refused to believe it. _"You could."_

 _"I invented Moriarty,"_ Sherlock proclaimed, and John didn't listen. 

_"I'm a fake,"_ The detective had said hoarsely through tears. John felt his heart stop. _"Sherlock..."_

Because this had happened before and John wasn't an idiot. Moriarty loved making people pretend to be someone they weren't. He even did it to himself. He had done it to John, making him act like he was Jim. After all this, John wasn't an idiot. 

And he had seen Sherlock look over his shoulder.

John could only imagine Moriarty standing there, aiming a gun at Sherlock's head, hissing for him to keep going. He could only imagine Moriarty aiming a gun at _John_ , which was so much worse because John knew that Sherlock would do anything for him- and so if he was going to leap to his own death, it would be for him.

He refused to believe that Sherlock was a fake. 

Never. He refused to believe it, even if Moriarty was insisting that it was true. Even if so long ago, Sherlock had been terrified that John Watson had been a fake. Even if Sherlock really was a fake. He refused to believe it.

But believing didn't change anything- not really, not when Sherlock still plunged to his death, or when his face was on the pavement, covered in his own blood. Not when there wasn't a pulse, only a gravestone and an empty chair. Believing in Sherlock didn't matter if Sherlock was dead.

And so John made the mistake, believing that Sherlock was dead.

A fatal mistake.

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's v short but I still have a lot of emotions from these episodes  
> And they can only be summed up in so many words
> 
> But if you liked, please give kudos, it definitely helps me narrow down what you guys like and what you don't, and that help me know what to make more of.


End file.
